Check out this inspiring new documentary on veteran journalist Ammu Joseph

Ammu Joseph (centre, in grey) in a still from the documentary

Kerala Media Academy's new documentary Media Woman: Ammu Joseph's Passionate Journey (2026), directed by Shiny Benjamin, was released earlier this month on YouTube. It dives into seasoned journalist Ammu Joseph's painstaking effort to bring together women in media under one collective called Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI). The film sheds a gentle but daring light on the power of solidarity and sisterhood. We hear several members of the initiative speak about the evolution of the initiative.

Supriya Unni, a senior journalist from Bengaluru, echoes Joseph's ethos, revealing, "In NWMI, there is no hierarchy. There is absolute freedom for everybody." Meanwhile, a journalist from Kerala, Sarita Varma, mentions how the collective salvaged ‘the spirit of journalism'.

A glimpse of Eve's Weekly. Pics courtesy/Kerala Media Academy on Youtube

The documentary shows how wide Joseph spread her wings. The seed for the effort was sown in 2000, with meetings in Jaipur, Bengaluru, and Shillong. We learn, though, that its mentorship over the years led to about 800 women joining the initiative - offering financial assistance for cancer treatment to a member, accompanying another to the court for a case, or simply listening to each other's stories.

A striking moment arrives in the documentation of Joseph's inspiring journey as an editor. She shaped the way women readers consumed information in commercial women's magazines, like Mumbai-based popular magazine for women, Eve's Weekly, by adding a feminist perspective to the pieces. For example, the cooking pages were transformed into quick recipes for working women. A heartwarming exchange between Joseph and her husband in the film does not go unnoticed.

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